Shanghai Museum East Campus — Attraction in Shanghai

After a disappointing visit on Sat to the main museum at Renmin Square, I decided to check out the East Museum the next day.

No advanced reservations required for this (except for special kids activities/ workshops). The queue to enter was crazy long but moved considerably fast.

Audio guide for ¥20 in Mandarin, ¥40 for other languages. 5 levels, 12 halls of exhibits from Bronze to Pottery, Calligraphy, Paintings, Archaeology and special exhibitions.

Special exhibit: Hongshan Culture 红山文化古文明特展. Part 4 of a series of 何以中国 exhibition, the Hongshan era dates back 5000-6500 years. Said to be where the first definitions of how dragons are imagined to look like, painted pottery, extensive use of jade. Always in awe of the skills in making such precise cuts and designs given the limitations of equipment. The video in the middle is a must see, as it shows how we learnt to draw squares out of circles.

Spent the day here, covering the Bronze Hall, Pottery Hall, Archaeology Hall, Jade Hall and the Special Exhibit. Despite the crowds, I think because this is a really huge museum, it doesn't feel as packed as the other one. I certainly enjoyed this much more.

Just opposite the museum exit is the 花木时光里 Time Edition mall with a range of food...

上海博物馆东馆从浦东文化区拔地而起，如同在一座热爱喧嚣的城市中发出的自信低语。由同济大学李立设计、同建院执行，这座建筑体现了墨西哥城建筑师费尔南多·罗梅罗设计的苏玛雅博物馆所缺失的东西：机构的明确定位。

苏玛雅博物馆用16000块六角形铝板大声呼喊关注，而上海博物馆的大理石外立面则暗示海浪——对这座城市海洋传统的微妙致敬，没有戏剧化的过度表现。"上海之窗"的概念创造了戏剧性的室内空间，为艺术服务而非与之竞争。这是足够自信的建筑，让古代青铜器和玉雕成为焦点。

差异始于资金理念。上海代表了国家文化投资，是中国软实力投射系统性方法的一部分。与卡洛斯·斯利姆将电信垄断利润转化为个人遗产不同，这反映了跨越数十年的协调文化政策。结果显而易见：每个设计决策都服务于教育使命而非自我满足。

最具启发性的是开放式文物保护实验室，参观者可以实时观察文物修复过程。这种机构透明度展现了对学术专业性的信心——与苏玛雅博物馆截然相反，后者用大理石包裹的不透明性掩盖家族关系和可疑的收藏实践，躲在建筑奇观背后。

参观体验反映了精密的规划。日容量达2万人次，先进的预约系统最初欢迎自发参观，直到人气高涨需要管理。免费的常设展览与上海日益昂贵的临时展形成对比，表明了不依赖游客榨取的可持续资金模式。

技术整合感觉有目的性而非噱头。AR导览和互动保护演示增强理解而不压倒沉思。庞大的青铜馆以学术精度展示3600年中国艺术——每件作品都有呼吸空间，鼓励研究而非拍照打卡。

同建院的建筑克制在参观流线上获得回报。棱角几何创造戏剧性空间，避免了更多雕塑性博物馆的流线噩梦。家庭一起研究文物；学者仔细查看铭文；儿童若有所思地参与互动展示。这些展厅履行了预期功能。

时机很重要。上海博物馆东馆开放时，中国私人文化机构正面临生存危机。上海喜马拉雅美术馆在其赞助人金融崩盘后被查封空置，加入日益增长的破产虚荣博物馆行列。国家投资提供了个人财富无法保证的稳定性。

批评"什么都太多"的声音误解了要点。这种全面方法反映了中国通过机构卓越而非建筑新奇建立文化权威的系统性努力。跨越33个类别的102万件藏品展示了严肃的文化雄心。

这座建筑成功是因为它理解博物馆的双重性质：需要功能卓越的学术机构和需要建筑灵感的公共空间。上海两者兼得，没有为了一方而牺牲另一方。

站在这些展厅中，在气候控制的完美环境中凝视两千年前的青铜器，你见证了当国家文化投资由真正的教育使命而非个人炫耀驱动时，如何创造持久的机构。建筑消失在其功能中——这是...

Absolutely amazing brand new, huge museum -5 very large floors -don't miss it if you are staying in Shanghai a few days. It opened in July 2024 and has been curated by enlightened archeologist and art curators, Bravo! It's free to get in, but they need to see your passport. There's lockers for luggage too. Very busy on Sundays. Take a Didi cab ( only about 5 £), or take the free shuttle from the older branch called Shanghai Museum in the centre ( 45 mn bus ride which is wonderful to discover the huge town). There are fantastic permanent exhibition halls, beautifully lit and with explanations in English: Bronze, ceramics, sculptures, ethnic costumes, calligraphy, and paintings. It's all about the Chinese culture and artistic, historical origins of the artifacts and creations. You could spend 2 full days there - there's plenty of café options and seating corners and shops for souvenirs. A very welcoming space. Outside, lovely restaurants choices and gardens in an ultra modern architectural complex. Fabulous side...